Recently, my oldest son, now a thirty-something living in New York City, referenced “The Snowpants Rule.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“What’s that?” he looked at me incredulously, “You made it up!”

“Remind me then.”

“When we were little kids and we’d want to go out and play in the snow, you’d tell us we couldn't go out unless we promised to stay out for at least as long as it took us to put on our snowpants in the first place. The Snowpants Rule.”

Whether you were planning to fly or drive, travel costs have risen at a much higher rate than incomes. Along with the high cost of travel, prices for food and everyday necessities have gone up as well, due to high shipping costs, which have made nearly everyone budget conscious.

In May of 1978 the Great Beer Trek left from the South Shore of Boston and headed out to discover America through its beers. The first stop, for fuel and directions, was Dan & Whit's in Norwich, Vermont.